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Erik Cernak Day-To-Day, Lightning Recall Maxwell Crozier

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they’ve recalled right-shot defenseman Maxwell Crozier from their AHL affiliate the Syracuse Crunch after the team told Lightning reporter Chris Krenn that defenseman Erik Cernak is day-to-day. The 23-year-old Crozier was originally drafted by the Lightning in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL entry draft and is looking to make his NHL debut should he get into the lineup during his recall.

The Calgary, Alberta native played his college hockey at Providence College prior to being drafted and is in his first full season in the AHL. He wrapped up his NCAA career just last season and did sneak in nine games with the Crunch towards the end of the year, notching three assists. In 24 AHL games this year, Crozier has a goal and six assists and is +5.

Crozier’s recall comes one day after Lightning defenseman Cernak was forced to leave a game due to an upper-body injury. Cernak has dealt with injury woes on several occasions over the past year and was only in his second game back from another upper body injury that he suffered on December 31st against the Montreal Canadiens. Cernak missed four games with that injury.

The 26-year-old has five assists in 39 games this season and was a huge part of their back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.

Afternoon Notes: Monahan, Thompson, Merzlikins

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported on TSN Insider Trading that he believes Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan could be one of the first players moved before the NHL trade deadline. The Canadiens and Monahan struck an agreement on a one-year contract last summer with the understanding that the team would move Monahan to a contending team during the season when the time was right.

For his part, Monahan has been having a decent year and is healthy for the first time in a while. The Brampton, Ontario native has dressed in 41 games and has registered 11 goals and 13 assists while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time a game. The seven-time 20-goal scorer hasn’t topped the 20-goal mark since the 2019-20 season but is on pace for a 22-goal campaign. His contract will also be one of the easier deals to move as he is counting just $2MM against the Canadiens salary cap this season.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio 550 in Buffalo is reporting that Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson is undergoing imaging today for an undisclosed injury. Thompson was on a mission in last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators as he scored two goals before his exit from the game. He did take a high stick in the second period that forced him to briefly leave the bench, but he did return after that before leaving a second time. Thompson missed a few weeks with a hand injury earlier in the season and was just rounding into form in recent weeks. In 32 games this season, the Phoenix, Arizona native has 14 goals and 13 assists. Sabres head coach Don Granato did tell reporters that Thompson could play tomorrow, meaning that whatever is bothering the 26-year-old may not be too serious, but time will tell.
  • Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is reporting that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins commented to the media today that he has not asked the team for a trade, however, he would like the team to find a new scenario for him and the team has agreed with that. What that means is unclear, but Merzlikins did tell reporters that he is not a backup goaltender, something that he is in line to be tomorrow night when the Blue Jackets take on the Seattle Kraken. If Columbus does go the trade route with Merzlikins, it will not be the easiest move to make as the 29-year-old is in the second year of a five-year $27MM contract and has a ten-team no-trade list. Couple his contract, with his uneven play over the past two and a half years and it will be a difficult transaction for the Blue Jackets to make.

Blackhawks Sign Nick Foligno To Two-Year Extension

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The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they’ve signed veteran forward Nick Foligno to a two-year extension worth a total of $9MM. Foligno was acquired by Chicago from the Boston Bruins last June alongside Taylor Hall in a move that saw Ian Mitchell and Alec Regula go the other way. After the trade, The Buffalo, New York native was promptly signed to a one-year extension for $4MM.

Foligno was a first-round draft pick of the Ottawa Senators back in 2006 (28th overall) and is a veteran of 1,120 career NHL games in which he has posted 223 goals and 319 assists.

He has been a steady presence for the Blackhawks this season in what has been a tumultuous year for the team both on and off the ice. In 39 games with Chicago, the 36-year-old has eight goals and nine assists and has provided his usual physicality and steady defensive work.

Chicago has struggled to ice a healthy lineup in recent weeks as their forward ranks have been decimated by injuries. Foligno is currently on the injured reserve with a fractured left finger but that didn’t stop the Blackhawks from locking him up for the next two seasons.

The Blackhawks have a relatively blank slate when it comes to NHL contracts beyond the 2024-25 season. With Foligno’s extension, he becomes one of only three players signed to a one-way NHL contract for the 2025-26 season alongside Seth Jones and Connor Murphy. The new deal is a bit of an overpay but given Chicago’s lack of long-term commitments and the value Foligno’s experience will provide, they likely aren’t too worried about a short-term mid-tier contract.

Montreal Canadiens Activate Rafaël Harvey-Pinard

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The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they’ve activated forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard from the injured reserve. Harvey-Pinard was on the IR with a lower-body injury that he suffered in November. The Canadiens then placed the 25-year-old on the IR on November 20th after he had started the year with four assists in his first 13 games.

The Saguenay, Quebec native returned to the Canadiens lineup tonight in a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks that ended San Jose’s losing streak at 11 games. Harvey-Pinard registered a single shot but was held pointless as he played 13:57.

It’s been a disappointing season for Harvey-Pinard after he had a strong showing last season with Montreal and their AHL affiliate the Laval Rocket. In 40 AHL games, Harvey-Pinard registered 16 goals and 15 assists. This prompted Montreal to promote him to the NHL where he had a solid stretch of 34 games in which he posted 14 goals and six assists.

Following his strong showing, Montreal locked him up to a two-year, one-way contract worth $1.1MM per season. The deal cemented Harvey-Pinard as part of a logjam of Canadiens forwards that has been necessary this season as the Canadiens have dealt with a pile of injuries to their forward core.

With the return, Emil Heineman was healthy scratched by the Canadiens for tonight’s game.

Avalanche Notes: Landeskog, Foudy, Georgiev

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Corey Masisak of The Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog was on the ice today for the first time since having cartilage replacement surgery on his right knee. The 31-year-old is missing his second consecutive season as he deals with a significant injury. While a return to the ice is a good thing for Landeskog, he is still a long way away from a return according to Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar.

Landeskog has been out of action since he helped the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup back in June of 2022. He attempted to return during the 2022-23 season but suffered several setbacks that prohibited him from getting back on the ice. He worked hard to try and avoid a major surgery but eventually had knee surgery in May of 2023.

In other Avalanche notes:

  • The Avalanche announced today that they’ve activated forward Jean-Luc Foudy off of the Injured Non-Roster list and assigned him to their AHL affiliate the Colorado Eagles. The 21-year-old has missed the entire first half of the season and will begin his return in the AHL. He did see nine games on NHL action last season with Colorado and was held pointless. With the Eagles last season, Foudy dressed in 46 games and had 11 goals and 25 assists. The former third-round pick was widely considered to be the best skating prospect in the 2020 NHL entry draft and could fit in well with Colorado once he is able to get back into game shape.
  • Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now tweeted today that the Avalanche have some concerns about goaltender Alexandar Georgiev’s workload this season and with good reason. Georgiev is currently on pace to play 68 games this season which would eclipse his career high of 62 games that he played last season. While Georgiev garnered Vezina Trophy consideration with his play last season, this year has been a little bit different. Georgiev has seen his save percentage drop, his goals against average inflate, and his underlying numbers dip significantly. While it could be a slump for the 27-year-old, it could also be a sign that Georgiev is fatigued and could use some rest.

Golden Knights Make Several Roster Moves

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The Vegas Golden Knights have made a flurry of roster moves today as they try and shake up their roster after being shutout for the fifth time this season last night. Jesse Granger of The Athletic is reporting that defenseman Lukas Cormier and forward Grigori Denisenko have been reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, while forward Jonas Rondbjerg and defenseman Kaedan Korczak have been recalled to Vegas.

21-year-old Cormier had an assist during his NHL debut on January 6, was +1 and averaged almost 15 minutes of ice time in two games. He is in his second year in the AHL and has a goal and 11 assists in 27 games. The former third-round pick was a good offensive option for the Silver Knights last year as he had ten goals and 25 assists in 62 games.

Denisenko was held pointless in three games during his most recent recall. His AHL numbers on the other hand have been solid this year, in 31 games the former 15th overall pick has 12 goals and 18 assists. In four years as a professional, Denisenko has played 29 NHL games and has seven assists and no goals.

Rondbjerg is looking to get back into the Golden Knights lineup for the first time in almost two months, the 24-year-old had a recall earlier in the season and had a goal and two assists in six games. The 2017 third-round pick has had a decent offensive season in Henderson with four goals and 10 assists in 24 games this season.

Korczak showed promise during a two-month recall earlier in the season and will get another look with Vegas. The 22-year-old is typically known as a physical defensive defenseman but has shown some offensive upside in a limited sample size as he has a goal and six assists in 15 NHL games this season.

Vegas currently sits in second place in the Pacific Division with a 23-13-5 record. Despite the good start to the season, the Golden Knights have struggled as of late with a 3-7 record in their last ten games. They have also struggled on the road with a 9-9-3 record.

Avalanche Notes: Manson, Wood, Lehkonen

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Ryan Boulding of NHL.com is reporting that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson will not dress tonight when the Avalanche take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Manson suffered an undisclosed injury at Avalanche practice on Monday and did not play against the Boston Bruins on Monday night. The 32-year-old has five goals and seven assists in 37 games this season, his second full year with Colorado.

Manson joins an ever-growing list of Avalanche players who are out of the lineup, although it is not known how long he will continue to miss games. Very little is known about Manson’s injury at the moment, and it is expected that there will be an update on his status in the coming days.

In other Avalanche notes:

  • Ryan Boulding is also reporting that Avalanche forward Miles Wood will not play tonight as he is dealing with an illness. Like Manson, Wood also missed Monday night’s game against Boston and tested positive for influenza according to Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. Wood is in his first season with the Avalanche after signing a six-year contract on July 1st. The 28-year-old has scored at a comparable rate to his career average this season with six goals and six assists in 39 games. He has been much more responsible with and without the puck this year with Colorado as Wood has reduced his turnover rate dramatically, while also increasing his takeaway numbers.
  • Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar would love to see forward Artturi Lehkonen play on their upcoming road trip, but it is not a guarantee. Lehkonen will reportedly join the team when they begin their road trip on Friday starting in Toronto and could play for the first time since November 9th. Lehkonen was sidelined with a neck injury after a scary fall into the boards and was originally given a 10–12-week recovery timeline that he is eight weeks into. When he can return the 28-year-old will provide a big boost to Colorado’s top-6 particularly if he can get back to his level of play from last season. This year Lehkonen has three goals and five assists in 12 games.

Anaheim Ducks Claim Gustav Lindstrom Off Waivers

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Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have claimed defenseman Gustav Lindstrom off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens. Lindstrom was originally acquired by the Canadiens from the Detroit Red Wings along with a 2025 fourth-round pick in exchange for defenseman Jeff Petry. The trade happened towards the end of last summer after Petry had been moved to Montreal by the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The 25-year-old Lindstrom was drafted by Detroit 38th overall in the 2017 NHL entry draft and emerged as an NHL option during the 2019-2020 season as he posted one assist in a 16-game NHL audition. The following year during the pandemic-shorted season, Lindstrom dressed in just 13 NHL games and put up three points, while struggling with turnovers and defensive miscues.

The turnovers became a theme in Lindstrom’s play during his first full NHL season in 2021-22 when Lindstrom dressed in 63 games and averaged over 16 minutes of ice time per game. Lindstrom did emerge as a talented shot blocker and a physical option on the back end, but his sloppy play with the puck became a problem for the young defender.

This year with Montreal, Lindstrom has played in 13 games and has a career-high three goals and an assist. Despite his goal-scoring, Lindstrom has not played for Montreal since December 9th and was expected to be sent to the Laval Rocket of the AHL if he cleared waivers.

With the waiver claim, the Ducks will have a free look at a talented, albeit flawed, young defenseman.

Colorado Avalanche Place Chris Wagner On Waivers

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Jan. 11: Wagner has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the Eagles, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Jan. 10: Chris Johnston of TSN is reporting that the Colorado Avalanche have placed forward Chris Wagner on waivers today, which would suggest that the 32-year-old is fully recovered from a ruptured Achilles and is ready to be assigned to the AHL. Wagner suffered the injury before training camp and has missed the entire season thus far. He was signed by the Avalanche in the offseason after spending the past five years in the Boston Bruins organization.

Wagner was an NHL regular from 2016-21 and dressed in 360 games during that stretch, with his best season coming in 2018-19, when he had 12 goals and seven assists in 76 games. Over the course of his nine-year NHL career, Wagner has 37 goals and 26 assists.

Wagner has played just two NHL games since 2021 and has spent the majority of the last three seasons in the AHL. He has dressed in 62 AHL games in each of the last two seasons, tallying 27 points in 2021-22 and 31 points last year.

If he is able to clear, he will likely join Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. While it is likely he will clear, given his recent injury situation, it is far from a sure thing as many teams are starting to deal with injury issues and could be looking for players to fill out their forward group for the rest of the season.

Blackhawks Assign Brett Seney To Rockford

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Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago is reporting that the Chicago Blackhawks have sent forward Brett Seney back to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Seney has been with the Blackhawks since January 1st and played four games during his NHL recall. Seney struggled during that time tallying no points in the four games as the club spent more of the time being dramatically out-chanced while his line was on the ice.

The 27-year-old is in his second season with the Blackhawks organization after he was originally signed as a free agent back in July of 2022. Last year he had a much better NHL audition in Chicago, dressing in seven games and registering one assist. In 66 NHL games spread across five seasons, Seney has six goals and eight assists and has played for three different organizations.

The London, Ontario native stands just 5-9 and only weighs 156 pounds. He seemed to have a hard time staying strong on the puck during his recall, however in the AHL he has been a consistent offensive threat for the past three seasons including this year where he has eight goals and 13 assists in 29 games.

With so many injuries throughout the Blackhawks forward ranks, it does seem likely that Seney will receive another recall before the end of the year. Particularly if he can continue his strong play in the AHL.

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